The Apocalypse 3: Revenge [The Original]

Ch. 17-19

They returned to the sky. Wave was looking at the Emerald.

"It's pretty, isn't?" she asked, not really caring if anyone answered or not.

"Oh, yeah." Jason said sarcastically. "It's weird to see you're still interested in the little things like beauty."

"Look, Jason." Wave said, lowering the Emerald. "Just because I'm not with your pathetic little group doesn't mean I've changed."

"Really?" Jason asked. "You haven't changed?"

"Not about how I feel about other things." Wave said. "Dew glistening on a leaf, a butterfly, and the smell of that pie shop on the corner of the street. I still notice things like that."

"How unfortunate for us." Jason said.

"Yeah." Wave agreed.

Couple minutes later, they heard a screeching noise.

"Anyone else hear that?" Knuckles asked.

"How could we not?" asked Jet.

They heard the screech again, only this time it was closer.

"Where's it coming from?" asked Blaze.

"It sounds like it's coming from..." Jason said, stopping to look at Wave.

She looked at him as well and then the two of them looked up. A giant fiery bird shot of the skies above them.

"Evasive maneuvers, NOW!" yelled Jason.

Everyone scattered, dodging the wings from the bird. It looked like a phoenix.

"Must be the Dark Phoenix." Wave said.

"How do you know that?" asked Jason, dodging an attack from the phoenix's claws.

"I remember hearing Mephiles mention three creatures he sent out to protect the Chaos Emeralds from you guys." Wave answered.

"But how could Mephiles have known that... we... would..." Jason thought about it. "He was right. Mephiles was right."

"What was he right about?" asked Blaze.

"He said every move we make has already been planned." Jason answered. "He must've been periodically looking into the future to see what we would end up doing."

"I hate Mephiles so much." said Silver.

"We all do." Tails said.

The phoenix swooped at Jason. He dodged it and the Dark Phoenix disappeared into the clouds.

"Where'd it go?" Knuckles asked, looking around.

"Wait for the screech." Jason said.

They heard a screech and the phoenix dove from the clouds. Jason was ready. As the Phoenix passed, he swung his sword, cutting the bird's mouth. It screeched in pain and took off upwards.

"Let's find that Emerald and get out of here." Blaze said.

"What's wrong, Blaze?" Wave asked. "Afraid of a bird?"

"I just don't want any one of my friends to get hurt." Blaze said. "That was something you used to care about, too."

"What is it with you guys and the term 'used to'?" Wave asked. "Let go of the past and live in the now. And right now, we're being hunted by a phoenix. So, let's get the Emerald and defeat this thing."

"If that's how you want it." Jason said.

"We're here." Tails said, looking at his tracking device.

Jason immediately dropped off his board and disappeared through the clouds below.